I should keep this a secret, but oh my maude I just get the most awesome stuff when I go! Yesterday, I scored some great vintage dresses and shirts....a bunch of free fabric and funky trim. two great metal chairs! a box of vintage buttons. oooh, I cannot wait to go again! plus I had great company...the car was loaded to gill and we looked like a very strange gypsy family!!! frightening ritzy home owners and their property values!

Yeah, we should have pretended to set up a tent in front of the house of the people who wouldn't say hi to you!

Seriously, West Seattle is a great place to go to estate sales because it's been a very stable neighborhood. People have tended to live in one house for 30 years or more, so when they die or move on there is a lot of stuff. I think a lot of people think W. Seattle is the hinterlands also, so they don't come out and do estate sales there.

We went to one estate sale in our neighborhood where the couple had lived in their house into their 90's because they didn't want to give up their view. Then they moved to an assisted living facility and sold their stuff. It was sad, but at the same time they were in their 90's and they were still together, which is a pretty good outcome for a life.

On a more personal note, I had a great time Saturday. We definitely need to do that again, although I need to try to stem the flow of incoming stuff in my house!

OMM! I think those people would have died if we "set up a tent". They may have money, but what a lack of manners! I suppose once you reach a certain income level it becomes acceptable to be rude to those who obviously have not. blehk!
I had such an awesome time as well. I never laughed so hard and as much! You and Tom are the perfect couple. It's funny how much you remind of my friend Summer (get this....Summer Winn) before she really got into all the hard drugs. incrediably intelligent and wickedly funny.
I hear you about stemming the tide! I just keep what I REALLY want and sell the rest. I skipped going to fremont last sunday...I did not feel so well. I have plenty to sell this Sunday. I so enjoy setting up and making interesting displays. I should be a window dresser!

Thanks for the tip on West Seattle. I'm there almost every weekend since I'm dating a West Seattle Boy, so let me know the next time you guys go to one. I'm not much of a shopper anymore, but I want to be.

Thanks for letting us know.

I'm going to have to check this out. Sometimes on the weekend I drive all the way to West Seattle, just for my favorite iced coffee drink in the whole wide world - THE CHUMLEY. If you haven't had it, run - don't walk - to the nearest Diva espresso.

Wow, thanks for letting us know! I've lived in W. Seattle for three years and I've never been to Diva Espresso, although I keep meaning to go. There are many good coffee places over here...

Thriftstorediva, sorry to hear you weren't feeling well. I felt awful on Sunday due to my cold, and I have now sucessfully passed it to Clara. I hope you don't get it.

oh i've always wanted to go to an estate sale. how do you hear about them? let us know next time you go!
maggie

I want to say it was all in the west seattle herald(???)......but we were just driving around and spotted signs. the one house we went to was straight out of the late 60's....just too Op rad with a great view of the sound! I am very eager to go again. Yard and estate sales out here in Puyallup are less than stellar. Sheesh...We need to move! BTW if you are ever in Tacoma ...the goodwill across from the Outback just rocks! Full of stuff and not much over $8.00!

Thrifstorediva covered most of the bases, but I'll chime in. They are in the West Seattle Herald, and also sometimes the Little Nickel. They are probably in bigger papers too, but I never look there. Also, if you go regularly, you can sometimes get on email lists for certain vendors. But, you can also just drive around and follow signs. I've found great ones that way as well. They frequently start on Friday. I can never go then, because I work, but for those sales that's probably when the best stuff is available.

Can you tell my husband and I do this a lot?

Cheryl

It's so sad when you're carless and your friends have no cars and the West Seattle is so far away. I may just have to take my Thomas guide and take the bus. It is so beautiful over there, I love it when you think the sales will be bunk and then you pull up to the greatest huge old people house with the most jaw-dropping view of the sound. It's really a great way to see some crazy-expensive real estate that you'd never see otherwise, too.

Wait a minute, is there a new seattle craft-spaz on here? What's new with you Bruk?

Cheryl, if you and Tom are not busy would you like to do a picnic at Lincoln park Saturday? and of course Clara can come too! This requires little spending and no shopping for things to find a place for! I've got chairs and big sheet, too.

That sounds great, but let me ask Tom. We are dedicated to cleaning up our trashy front yard this weekend, and I want to do basic cleaning, mainly the kitchen, bathroom and living room. So, we'll need to discuss how we are scheduling our time.

Also! My sister started having contractions on Wednesday, but then they slowed down. This could affect our schedule as well, and my niece might come stay with us for a night. I'm trying not to think about it too much, because I'll get all het up, and then it might be another week before I get to meet the baby.

I'm thinking about hosting a Seattle swap or S&B, if there is interest. It would involve participants coming to W. Seattle. I suppose I should ask Tom about that also...

OOOOH a baby on the way!!!! Maude, I have been going through weird food cravings. last night it was bacon. I had to have bacon and eggs for dinner. So very healthy. mmmm grease! I am trying to not throw on as much weight as I did with Braden. So bacon is not helping the issue. grrrr!
A seattle swap or s&b sounds great. I would definately come up to west seattle for that! a naked lady party would be swell, too! but I doubt there are too many glitters with maternity clothes. I just bought a few great mama to clothes on ebay. and cheaply to boot!
oh....if you need some help dealing with cleaning up the yard I would not mind helping. I need the exercise. I WILL NOT GAIN 45lbs THIS PREGNANCY!

I used to lurk and occasionally post last summer (handle: brukie) when I had a receptionist job that allowed me to do nothing but surf the internet. I've been a student at seattle central (history major, I think, I'm into basque, food/agricultural and 20th century art history) for a few years, and I live in the u district and I really really like to play the ukulele. My turn-ons are Paul Simonon from the Clash, confetti, and pudding. Craft-wise, I have expertise sewing, knitting, silk-screening, painting, collaging and refinishing furniture. I'm kind of a butthole know-it-all and I want to be a librarian (the two go together well). New? I'm babysitting my friend's cat. I've never introduced myself because I lack social graces, even on a bulletin board. And for that, I apologize.

Thriftstorediva, I'm really sorry I didn't call you this weekend. I'm not usually as flaky as I have been with you, or at least I want to believe that. I'm finding my life hard to manage at the moment. I'll call you tonight for sure, unless the baby is actually born! Did you go to Fremont yesterday? How did it go? I went to the West Seattle Farmer's Market briefly, which has a teeny craft section, and thought about selling some kind of craft there.

bruk, I also am somewhat of a know-it-all and would like to get a masters degree in information and library sciences. I worry that I'm obnoxious in my know-it-allness, but it's hard to judge the level of my own obnoxiousness. In my case I think it's also linked to being the oldest child. I was a bossy one!

Edited to add: Thriftstorediva, I forgot to ask how Braden and Rob are doing! Did they get home okay, without too much hassle?

Cheryl....i totally understand! Life really changes when you have a baby and a busy family life. I do not find it to be flaky just life with a family! I was feeling a bit awful Saturday and Sunday. So i ended up skipping Fremont and their plane arrived 4:30 so it would have been too crazy to manage the market. I am going next week ...hopefully with Rob and Braden in tow!

I was so happy to get my family home. Braden grew again! and apparently can say,"OH SHIT!" Lovely. No more cursing around this house. We are not reacting to it, but maude, how mortifying!

BTW, you don't seem like a Mrs. Know-it-all! But I agree about the first born theory. I tend to be a bit bossy with Rob.
So is this the wanna-be librarian posse?

I think crafty, interesting people often want to be librarians! But I could be wrong.

I'm going to tell Tom about Braden cursing, because he refuses to stop swearing around Clara, but I know he won't like it if she does it.

I'd be interested to see if you think I don't sound like Ms. Know-it-all a year from now! I think it doesn't irritate most people but I know I irritate my neighbors occasionally.

Urgh, I'm tired today and wish I was home with my baby...

I hope you feel better.

Cheryl

Well, today was the first day having my boy back home. Clean, tidy apartment went kablooey! But I felt so good spending time with him. I have turned into such a mama goddess now! But reading Bitch keeps me grounded!
Oh, you better believe Clara will pick up those words. I suppose "Oh shit" in the scheme of life is not so bad, but I really think I can express myself just fine without cursing. Or so my senior year creative writing teacher informed me. Mreh.....she was annoying!
So anymore thoughts of a west seattle S & B? I think the seattle girls have an S & B going. and I got my issue #3 of readymade and I'm feeling crafty. I like the pillowcase pencil skirt. umm..yeah pregnancy and pencil skirts!

Ooh, the third issue of ReadyMade is out? I'll have to go look at it, and decide whether to buy it.

Last night was kind of hectic. First thing, I stepped in dog poop as I came in the front door. Bozeman is really good usually, and I could tell he felt really bad. Then Clara was hard to put to sleep, and bit me while nursing so hard I bled. After I put her to bed I went right to bed myself, and then my friend called and told Tom her father had died. This makes me sad, because I liked him. When he found out his cancer had returned he said, "Goddamnit, I donated money to the World War II memorial and now I'm not going to get to see it. The only person still alive to see it is going to be Strom Thurmond."

I was hoping the call was my sister having her baby.

I am feeling crafty, however. I'm working on a bias skirt, and am close to hanging it before hemming. (You hang bias skirts for a while before hemming because they stretch.) I have a great pattern for "loungewear" that I want to work on next, since it's feeling cold at the moment. What are you feeling like working on?

I'm glad Braden's back. That must be really fun.

I would like to make some button down maternity tops from some retro fabric. What I see in stores are just way too cutsie or just blech or are far more than I am willing to pay. I want to make one that ties in the back for a more fitted look. I am not into tent clothes.
I am sorry to hear about your friend's father. Even as much baggage and nasty issues as I have with my parents, I will be devastated when they pass on.

Are you okay post-biting? She must have been quite frustrated. Braden has taken to biting now. I am very firm with that. I am not sure how much of the scolding he absorbs, but I think he gets the general idea.

If you want my issue of readymade I'll give it to you. The only magazine I keep is Real Simple. The recipes and the awesome photography are my thing. I use quite a few recipes they publish. But it's real simple for people with real disposable incomes to be sure. A girl can dream....

I'm just running out the door to catch my van, but I thought I'd mention that this month's Burda has maternity clothes. We should look at them the next time we see each other...

Talk to you soon,
Cheryl

Hopefully, the burda patterns are fairly simple. I am so beyond novice when it comes to sewing. My husband is the sewing king at my house!

Maybe if you hve no major plans next Thursday (the 15th) Braden and I can drive up to visit with you and Clara. Speaking of the little monster.....he just grabbed a lace doilly and took off. So I go to put it up and he runs away laughing like crazy! I have to chase him for it!
What a little stinker.

They actually tend to be somewhat complicated, but there is a blouse and pants that are pretty simple, and once you make one, it's be easy to make others. There are also some easy patterns from the "big four" (Vogue, Butterick, Simplicity and McCalls) available.

This Saturday is the next "Use it Again Seattle" event. I don't know what time. We have an advertisement, but it doesn't list details. I'll go to the website and let you know, in case you want to come up and do it. I know Tom will be there, but I'm not sure about myself, since my friend's dad's memorial is Saturday. But I might be able to go before that.

Next Thursday sounds great.

I'll get back to you about the time of that event.